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Tuesday, 3 February 2015

"The Ice Twins" by S.K. Tremane

Thanks to Harper Collins for the review copy of this title...

Angus and Sarah are grieving the loss of their daughter, Lydia. Her identical twin, Kirstie, witnessed the death of her sister and is affected by the memory more than anyone realises. When Kirstie begins to act strangely, Sarah is concerned for her daughter's mental status. Then the realisation that they may have mixed up the identity of the surviving twin dawns on her, and each day becomes an act of inner torture...

We have all seen them, identical twins. We have heard the stories of how they fool their friends and families by switching identities as a form of amusement. There are also tales of how they feel each others pain, fear and elation. But, could they maintain a whole lifetime of deceit? Would there not be some inkling of doubt in a parent's mind, when consumed with grief and despair? This thriller has the reader guessing from the first chapter. Could a child so young possibly be a victim of disassociation or are they imagining it? Is there a logical explanation for the mixed identity crisis? Could they possibly have cremated their other daughter, without realising it? A change of scenery and a deterioration within their marriage causes Sarah to question her past, present and future. A lack of trust for both Angus and Kirstie causes paranoia and uncertainty in her new home and beyond. Who can she trust? How can she help her daughter through this turbulent time? Living on a secluded Scottish island, in a ramshackled cottage, alone with her thoughts, may be the beginning of a journey she doesn't want to take...

The dark, intense and chilly atmosphere of this psychological thriller cuts the reader to the bone. A devastating statement from their young daughter, is the major inhale moment that grabs you into the world of these identical twins and their tragic separation. Add in the isolated cottage, lack of telephone, heat, appliances (and pest control) and the rising tides and you have a gripping page turner. The characters of Sarah and Angus were not to my liking. I found them mismatched and could never picture them happily working alongside each other, even before the loss of their child. I also thought it strange that a therapist would offer up theories, quite without persuasion, over the phone, without really knowing the 'client'. The narrative and the gothic style descriptive passages made the thrills. There was a few moments that were predictable but overall, the book kept me guessing which twin was actually alive. The pace was great and chapter length ideal for a bedtime read. Maybe have your heating on full blast, as the icy feeling within the pages may rub off.

The Ice Twins is published by Harper Collins and is available in Hardback and ebook format

About Me

I am a Mum of 5 and and a full time foster carer who escapes into the wonderful world of books.... I am a contributor to Writing.ie as well as lovereading.co.uk and novelicous.com and do guest reviews and posts for other blogs. I run a monthly giveaway of my Random Recommendations which are of varying genres. I keep the reviews short and sweet as well as honest and personal. If the book was received from an author or publisher, for review purposes, I will state this in the review.
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